1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel non-toxic in situ method for the accelerated biological degradation of organic matter in the form of sewage sludge or petroleum hydrocarbons on the surface of aquatic objects submerged in bodies of saltwater, brackish, or freshwater. The invention includes novel non-toxic compositions and novel products that are particularly useful for practicing the novel methods.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The delicate balance of our planets fragile aquatic ecosystems is being disturbed at an alarming rate. Industrial, agricultural, and residential effluents enter our waterways polluting these systems with organic, metallic and inorganic compounds. Current methods of remediating aquatic sediments contaminated with organic pollutants such as sewage, oil, pesticides, herbicides and polychlorinated biphenols involve dredging up the sediment and treating it elsewhere then returning it to the removal site. These existing methods are both expensive and damaging to benthic ecosystems by killing organisms. The need for an inexpensive, in situ and noninvasive method to remediate such situations has lead to the development of this novel method and compositions.
The applicant is aware of prior art which makes the novel method possible. The particles of the sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate mentioned as a part of the novel composition are created in a commonly used practice by spraying the pure compound with a solution containing sodium sulfate in a device know as a fluid bed dryer. The mixture then is heated to evaporate the solvent from solution. The size of the resulting particles is controlled by the length of time the resulting reaction is allowed to proceed before it is arrested by the drying process, the longer the reaction the larger the resulting particle size will become.
The aerobic bacteria, yeast and facultative anaerobic bacteria used in this method are placed into a dehydrated form by a commonly used method of thermal drying in which the incubator raised strain of bacteria are placed in a device which quickly evaporates the moisture from the culture without killing the bacteria or yeast. The resulting organisms are in a suspended state and will become active upon rehydration.
The enzymes used in the formulation of the novel composition are in dry crystallized form and can be chosen from the entire range of available enzymes. The enzyme(s) chosen will be particularly suited to help breakdown the contaminant being remediated, an example being protein kinases to breakdown proteins. Lyophilized enzymes are preferred.
The applicant is further aware of the following U.S. and Foreign Patents listed below and whose contents are herein incorporated by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 1,057,281 teaches the use of all peroxy compounds in an oxygen bath for medicinal purposes with people. U.S. Pat. No. 1,917,489 discloses the use of a solvent such as trichloroethylene, sodium peroxide and potassium carbonate in a system used to remove deposits from the inside walls of automotive radiators. U.S. Pat. No. 3,441,388 describes the use of sodium perborate and salts of peroxyacids and their use as oxygen generating agents to decrease the dissolving time of solid materials in water (i.e. laundry detergents). U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,429 features the use of sodium peroxide and potassium superoxide in a system which removes excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of a closed room, and replenished the oxygen taken up by respiration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,642 relates to the use of microsites of effervescence of a hypochlorite-peroxide interaction to loosen micro-deposits of debris and organic matter from reaction cells in an automated analytical instrument. U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,426 discloses the use of calcium peroxide particles coated with an insoluble organic compound, having a melting point of at least 50.degree. C., used for water oxygenation. See in particular Col. 5, lines 45-58. U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,344 describes the use of percarbonate to mix the caustic substances with the water above the clog, in a dry drain opener preparation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,039 teaches the use of sodium percarbonate particles coated with sodium perborate and their use as oxygen generating agents in water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,453 relates to the activation of peroxide-based dry laundry bleaches in an aqueous medium with pH above 7.5 through the use of cyanamide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,798 describes the use of peroxygen compounds in a process for treatment of dirty dry cleaning bath solutions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,888 relates to the use of peroxy compounds as stabilizers for use with chlorine dioxide and quaternary ammonium salts as sterilizing agents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,175 discloses the activation of peroxide-based dry laundry bleaches in a buffered aqueous medium through the use of cyanamide and magnesium. U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,650 features the use of dry peroxygen compounds in conjunction with chlorine releasing compounds in a laundry detergent composition. U.S. Pat. NO. 4,197,198 teaches the use of peroxygen compounds as stabilizing agents for use with chlorine dioxide to degrade phenol compounds in a waste water stream. U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,486 features the use of sodium carbonate in a waste water treatment process for decomposing injurious substances. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,971 teaches the use of peroxygen compounds as secondary algicide in the process of water treatment through the use of a linear polymeric biguanide. JP Patent 49-27799 relates to the use of calcium peroxide in fish culture to oxygenate breeding ponds. JP Patent 88-156001 discloses the use of oxygen generating compounds packed in gas-permeable nonwoven cloth bags for use in live fish transportation. JP Patent 89-51302 teaches the use of oxygen generating compounds packed in gas-permeable nonwoven polyethylene-coated cloth bags for use in live fish transportation.